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Beautiful bright orange endangered baby monkey is born at San Diego Zoo - with Francois' langur's fur set to darken as it gets older
A beautiful bright orange endangered baby monkey was born at the San Diego Zoo, becoming the first to be welcomed at the zoo in five years.
On April 12, Meili, an 11-year-old endangered Francois' langur monkey gave birth to a vibrant baby who has not yet been named.
Baby Francois' langurs are born with distinctive orange fur which turns black as they grow up.
This was not Meili's first time becoming a mother, as her first born, Chi, now seven years old, lives in another habitat at the zoo with a younger langur monkey.
'We are always thrilled when a birth goes smoothly and results in a healthy infant,' senior wildlife care specialist, Joe Milo, with the San Diego Zoo, said.
A vibrant orange baby monkey was born on April 12 at San Diego Zoo and is the first to be welcomed at the zoo since 2019. (pictured: the baby being cradled on top of a tree by its mother Meili)
Baby Francois' langurs are born with distinctive orange fur which darkens to black as they grow up
'This time, our established trust with Meili allowed us to perform abdominal ultrasounds, confirming and monitoring her pregnancy,' Milo said.
He marked that a 'significant achievement' as the mother is the first monkey to be trained to undergo ultrasounds at the zoo.
Video of the baby and her mother was posted to the zoo's Instagram as Meili cradled her newborn in her arms and kissed her on top of a tree.
'Orange you a cutie,' the caption read.
'You won't have trouble spotting the baby for now, but it will soon turn black and grow a little more facial hair like the rest of the family.'
Francois' langurs, also known as Francois' leaf monkey, are native to northeastern Vietnam and southwestern China. There are a little more than 2,000 left in the world.
They are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because they are threatened by hunting and have experienced habitat loss and agricultural expansion.
In the last four decades the population of Francois' langurs have reduced by 50 percent, according to the San Diego Zoo.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance helps educate others about how to protect indigenous wildlife and ecosystems like that of Francois' langurs.
The 11-year-old mother is the first monkey to be trained to undergo ultrasounds at the zoo
Francois' langurs, also known as Francois' leaf monkey, are native to northeastern Vietnam and southwestern China and there are just a little more than 2,000 left in the world
'Our new infant increases the total to 71 animals at 16 accredited Association of Zoos and Aquariums [institutions] nationwide,' Milo said.
Another Francois' Langur was welcomed into the world in March at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, England.
The newborn was pictured inside its enclosure at the zoo hugging its 17-year-old mother.
One of the first to see the little langur was Kelly Salisbury, primate keeper at the Zoo, who said the team were 'incredibly excited'.
'With their bright orange fur, baby Francois' langurs are instantly recognizable and will be super easy for visitors to spot on their next visit.'
'With the Easter holidays in full swing, there's no better time for guests to come and meet our new baby Francois' langur and learn more about this fascinating species,' Salisbury said.
The infant is being cared for by its mother, the rest of the troop and the zoo's primate experts.
In 2021, a Francois' langur monkey named Qúy Báu was born at Philadelphia Zoo.
Another Francois' Langur was welcomed into the world in March at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, England. (pictured: the baby hanging on to its 17-year-old mother)
In 2021, a Francois' langur monkey named Qúy Báu was born at Philadelphia Zoo. (pictured: the baby being fed by veterinarians after she was born)
Footage showed zoo keepers cleaning and feeding Qúy Báu, which means 'precious' in Vietnamese, after she was ignored by her mother Mei Mei.
The one-month-old, who was the first of her species to be bred at the zoo, has since bonded with her mother and father Chester.
During a clip shared by the zoo, the small animal was seen clinging onto a zoo keeper's hand as they dipped her into water.
The young creature was then wrapped in a warm blanket and fed before joining her parents.
A post about her birth read: 'When she was first born, our team noticed Mei Mei wasn't attending to her, which isn't uncommon for first time moms.'
'So our vet staff took the baby to the animal hospital for a warming bath and some food.'